Bracket and shelf support assembly

ABSTRACT

A shelf and bracket assembly includes a pair of spaced angle bars which are mountable on spaced walls in a parallel, horizontally planar position. The bars are formed with barbs and fastener openings to facilitate the mounting of the bars to the walls. Inwardly projecting portions of each bar forms a ledge which supports a shelf which extends between the bars. Additionally, a pair of pole-support brackets are freely positionable and mountable on the spaced bars prior to assembly of the bars with the walls. The brackets are located in opposing alignment and are formed with a ledge configuration to support opposite ends of a clothes pole.

United States Patent 1 91 1111 3,865,336

Robertson 1 1 Feb. 11, 1975 BRACKET AND SHELF SUPPORT 3,759,191 9/1973 Freeman 248/243 x D189,9l8 3/1961 Nordenson 248/251 X ASSEMBLY Primary Examiner-.1. Franklin Foss Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Walter G. Finch 5 7 ABSTRACT A shelf and bracket assembly includes a pair of spaced angle bars which are mountable on spaced walls in a parallel, horizontally planar position. The bars are formed with barbs and fastener openings to facilitate the mounting of the bars to the walls. lnwardly projecting portions of each bar forms a ledge which supports a shelf which extends between the bars. Additionally, a pair of pole-support brackets are freely positionable and mountable on the spaced bars prior to assembly of the bars with the walls. The brackets are located in opposingalignment and are formed with a ledge configuration to support opposite ends of a clothes pole.

3 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures BRACKET AND SHELF SUPPORT ASSEMBLY This invention relates to a bracket 'and shelf support assembly and, more particularly, it pertains to an assembly for supporting a shelf between spaced walls and for providing support for a clothes pole beneath the shelf.

In the building of new houses, additions and home improvement activity, closets are frequently constructed or improved. Quite naturally, a shelf and at least one clothes pole is usually provided in the closet structure. ln the past. the assembly of such a closet structure was accomplished by conventional methods by time consuming measurements, marking, sawing and cutting plus the additional efforts of assembly. Each component part of the structure had to be especially prepared. This process naturally was time consuming and costly.

Thus, there exists a need for a procedure to reduce the time consumed in such an effort.

it is an object of this invention, therefore, to provide a new shelf and bracket assembly.

Another object of this invention is to provide a shelf and bracket assembly which is readily installable into a constructed area such as, for example, a closet.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a shelf and bracket assembly which is easily constructed, sufficiently sturdy for supporting other objects and relatively inexpensive. I

A further object of this invention is to provide a shelf and bracket assembly which permits a builder of houses to obtain preformed oversized lengths of component parts of the assembly and cut them to a selected size at the construction site.

Other objects and attendant advantages of this invention will become more readily apparent and understood from the detailed specification and accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a shelf and bracket assembly embodying certain principles of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along line 2-2 of FIG. 1 showing attachment of the shelf and bracket assembly to an adjacent such as a wall; and

FIG. 3 is a partial view of an angle bar ofthe shelf and bracket assembly of FIG. 1 showing barb openings and fastener opening, each of which may be used for attaching the assembly to the wall.

Referring to FIG. 1, a bracket and shelf support assembly includes a pair of angle bars 11 which have an L-shaped cross section. Each bar 11 is formed integrally with barbs l2 spaced along the vertical leg of the bar and projecting outwardly therefrom. Additionally, the vertical leg of each bar 11 is formed with openings 13, which are clearly shown in FlG. 3, to facilitate the use of fastening members 14, such as nails, screws and the like.

The assembly 10 further includes brackets 15 each of which has a flat portion 16 integrally formed with an arcuate support ledge 17 which has side portions which taper outwardly from an intermediate section of the flat portion thereof to one end thereof. The other end of the bracket 15 is formed integrally with a fold 18. The flat portion 16 is further formed with an opening 19.

In use of the assembly 10, one bracket 15 is positioned with one ofthe angle bars 11 so that the fold 18 is positioned over an edge of the bar in a supporting assembly. In this assembly, the arcuate ledge 17 suspends from the angle bar 11. As illustrated in FIG. 2, the assembled bar 11 and bracket 15 are then attached to a selected portion of a wall 20 by use of the barbs 12 or the fastening members 14. It is noted that the barbs 12 also serve as fastening members and that a combination of barbs and nails, screws and the like, could be used. When the angle bar 1'! is attached to the wall 20, the flat portion l6 of the bracket 15 rests against the ad jacent surface of the wall with the upper portion of the bracket being captured between the bar and the wall. The bracket 15 can be positioned, prior to assembly against the wall 20, so that the opening 19 thereof has one of the barbs l2 protruding there'through or so that one of the fastening member openings I3 is aligned with the bracket opening. When the angle bar ll is attached to the wall 20, the bracket 15 is precluded from sliding along the bar not only by being captured between the bar and the wall but also by the locating of the barb 12 or fastening member 14 within the bracket opening 19. t Another angle bar 11 and bracket 15 are attached to a wall which is spaced from and opposing the wall 20 so that horizontal portions of the angle bars lie in a common plane and extend toward each other. This provides a pair of spaced ledges for receiving and supporting edge portions of a shelf 21 extending therebetween. A clothes pole 22 is insertable between the spaced brackets 15 which are aligned to receive and support opposite ends thereof. The pole 22 can be assembled between the brackets 15 prior to assembly and attachment of the bars ll to the walls. Or the base portion of the arcuate ledge 17 can extend sufficiently from the flat portion 16 of the bracket 15 to permit the pole 22 to be assembled therewith after the bars 11 have been attached to the walls.

As shown in FIG. 2, the bottom end of the bracket 15 is formed with arcuate ledge base 23 ofincreased thickness relative to the thickness of the remaining portions of the bracket. When clothes are hung on the pole 22, stresses are placed on the base 23 and the substantial thickness thereof provides the necessary support strength which precludes the pole from ripping through the bottom of the arcuate support ledge 17.

While the illustrated embodiment of the angle bars 11 is L-shaped in cross section and the pole supporting ledge 17 of the bracket 15 is arcuate, other shapes and configurations could be used as desired without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Further, the angle bar 11 could be supplied to builders in long lengths and cut to size at the building site. This would permit convenient handling prior to use. Also, the component parts of two angle bars 11 could be cut to standard lengths and packaged with two brackets and sufficient fastening members 14 for sale to home improvers.

Obviously many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in light of the above teachings. It is, therefore, to be understood that within the scope of the appended claims the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.

What is claimed is:

1. In combination with a shelf and a rod support element, a combination shelf and rod supportive apparatus comprising:

shelf supporting means attachable to spaced portions of a structure for receiving the edges of the shelf to support the shelf in a substantially horizontal posimeans for attaching the shelf supporting means'to the structure;

' bracket having a flat base portion terminating at its upper end in a U-shaped fold and having at its lower end an arcuate ledge for receiving one end of the rod support element therein, the ledge having side portions which taper outwardly from an in termediate section of the flat base portion of the bracket to a maximum at the lower edge of the bracket, the supportive apparatus comprising at least two of the brackets held in spaced relation from each other by the shelf supporting means, thereby to allow the rod support element to be positionable within the brackets after initial installation of the brackets between the spaced portions of the structure and the shelf means, that portion of the flat base lying between the fold and the ledge being held between the spaced portions of the structure to which the shelf supporting means are secured and the shelf supporting means itself, the U-shape fold engaging the upper portion of the shelf supporting means and thus being held thereon, the ledge on the brackets oppositely facing each other to support the rod support element therebetween, the brackets being held in position by the attachment of the shelf supporting means to the spaced portionis of the structure, the flat base portion of each bracket being disposed between the structure and the shelf supporting means and being formed with an opening; and

fastening means on the shelf supporting means and extending into engagement with the structure through the opening to limit relative movement of the bracket between the structure and the shelf supporting means, one each of the aforesaid bars of the shelf supporting means being attachable to the spaced portions of the structure, the horizontal legs of the bars receiving the shelf thereon and the vertical legs of the bars holding the brackets respectively against the spaced portions of the structure, the U-shaped fold on the brackets receiving a portion of the upper perimetric edge ofthe vertical leg of the bar, thereby to secure the brackets to the bars.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the ledge formed on each ofthe brackets is of an increased thickness relative to the thickness of the flat base portion of the bracket.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the attaching means comprise barbs on the outside surface of the vertical legs of the bars. 

1. In combination with a shelf and a rod support element, a combination shelf and rod supportive apparatus comprising: shelf supporting means attachable to spaced portions of a structure for receiving the edges of the shelf to support the shelf in a subsTantially horizontal position, the shelf supporting means comprising bars having L-shaped crosssections; means for attaching the shelf supporting means to the structure; a bracket having a flat base portion terminating at its upper end in a U-shaped fold and having at its lower end an arcuate ledge for receiving one end of the rod support element therein, the ledge having side portions which taper outwardly from an intermediate section of the flat base portion of the bracket to a maximum at the lower edge of the bracket, the supportive apparatus comprising at least two of the brackets held in spaced relation from each other by the shelf supporting means, thereby to allow the rod support element to be positionable within the brackets after initial installation of the brackets between the spaced portions of the structure and the shelf means, that portion of the flat base lying between the fold and the ledge being held between the spaced portions of the structure to which the shelf supporting means are secured and the shelf supporting means itself, the U-shape fold engaging the upper portion of the shelf supporting means and thus being held thereon, the ledge on the brackets oppositely facing each other to support the rod support element therebetween, the brackets being held in position by the attachment of the shelf supporting means to the spaced portionis of the structure, the flat base portion of each bracket being disposed between the structure and the shelf supporting means and being formed with an opening; and fastening means on the shelf supporting means and extending into engagement with the structure through the opening to limit relative movement of the bracket between the structure and the shelf supporting means, one each of the aforesaid bars of the shelf supporting means being attachable to the spaced portions of the structure, the horizontal legs of the bars receiving the shelf thereon and the vertical legs of the bars holding the brackets respectively against the spaced portions of the structure, the U-shaped fold on the brackets receiving a portion of the upper perimetric edge of the vertical leg of the bar, thereby to secure the brackets to the bars.
 2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the ledge formed on each of the brackets is of an increased thickness relative to the thickness of the flat base portion of the bracket.
 3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the attaching means comprise barbs on the outside surface of the vertical legs of the bars. 